Immigrate to New Zealand from Argentina

As a citizen of Argentina, it is required of you to apply for a suitable visa when arriving in New Zealand. Visa formalities must be completed in all cases, even for short-term stays. However, for short-term stays, Argentinians can migrate to New Zealand under the New Zealand Electronic Travel Authority (NZeTA).

NZeTA is a type of visa that grants access to entering the New Zealand territory without actually having to go through the standard visa formalities – this document can be obtained online following very simple procedures, which can be detailed by our immigration lawyer in New Zealand.

How can Argentinians apply for the NZeTA?

NZeTA is a type of document that must be obtained for short-term stays that have as a main purpose tourism. NZeTA is not a formal visa, but rather a document that is issued instead of a standard visa (we refer here to the documents that are obtained through embassies and consulates and for which the applicant must prepare an extensive file of documents).

Below, our immigration lawyer in New Zealand has prepared a short presentation concerning the NZeTA:

• the NZeTA is necessary for stays with a duration of maximum 90 days (for stays longer than this, other visas (standard visas) must be obtained through embassies, and they must grant the right to residency in New Zealand, considering their longer validity;
• the NZeTA was introduced in 2009, as a part of the visa waiver program and throughout the years, various countries have been included in this program;
• Argentina became part of the NZeTA system in 2019;
• the NZeTA can be obtained following a very simple electronic application, which can be completed in around 5 minutes;
• having the NZeTA is a mandatory procedure, that must be completed before the arrival in the country and it is required regardless if the foreigner stays in New Zealand for 1 day (minimum) or 90 days (maximum).

Can Argentinians arrive in New Zealand for a work holiday program?

Yes, Argentinians can migrate to New Zealand under a work holiday program. The work holiday program is available only for a limited number of states and, although the requirements are mostly the same for all countries, variations can appear from one country to another.

Persons who want to immigrate to New Zealand from Argentina for the work holiday program must comply with the following requirements:

1. have an age of minimum 18 years old to maximum 35 years old;
2. obtain residency for a period of maximum 12 months;
3. out of the entire duration of stay, it is allowed to participate in study/training sessions with a duration of maximum 6 months;
4. it is important to apply in due time, as for Argentina, there are only 100 such visas per year, according to the data provided by the New Zealand Immigration Office;
5. compared to other visas, the work holiday visa can be processed in a short period of time (around 5 weeks for many of the applications – 80% of them).

How can Argentinian businessmen invest in New Zealand?

An Argentinian investor can immigrate to New Zealand for business/investment purposes under suitable visas. One of the options is the Active Investor Plus Visa, which grants the right to permanent residency.

This visa is available for investors around the world, therefore it can be used by those who immigrate from USA to New Zealand or from other countries. For this visa type, investors are accepted if they can make a large investment in the local economy (minimum NZD $15 million is required).

Local authorities charge a processing fee of NZD $7900 and it is worth knowing that investors can relocate with their close family members (spouse and children with an age below 24 years old). Permanent residency can be obtained after 4 years of stay, as long as the investment conditions are kept. For more information, we advise you to contact our immigration lawyer in New Zealand.